If your family is prone to food allergies, early exposure to certain foods can
cause food allergies that might not otherwise exist. However, this is not true with Fido, the family pet! Scientists are
finding that early exposure to pets and dirt can actually help to train your
immune system that these are not threats to the body - therefore stopping an
allergy before it starts.
The Journal of
the American Medical Association has reported that children who live around two
or more dogs or cats before they turn one are less likely to develop allergies
in their lifetime. These children may develop defenses against allergies
as well as asthma. The study involved 833 children, with 473 tested for
allergies after six to seven years.
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Scientists have hypothesized that Americans are raised in a clean environment
- almost too clean - reducing allergen exposures that would normally help the
body to develop better and stronger immune systems. This theory has been
named the "Hygiene Hypothesis."
You may have heard the old time saying, "You need to eat a peck of dirt
before you die." Our great grandmothers may have been right. Early
exposure to dirt, dander and pets may be good for us indeed!
If your family is prone to food allergies,